Silas ckispitf



s. GRISPIN.

Bech-Loadng Fire-Arm.

No. 60,698. Patented-Jan. 1, 1867.

@gleiten tste strnt @fi-ign IMIROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

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'TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Beit known that I, SILAs CRIsPiN, of New York, of the county of New York, in the State of New Yhrk, have invented certain new and useful `Improvements in Breech-Loading Guns; andl do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to that kind of breech-loading guns in which the breech is divided or cut through in a plane passing through the chamber, which contains the charge, and at right angles with its bore, in such manner that the cartridge may be partially inserted within the fore part of said chamber, and then be completely enclosed by bringing the rear portion oi' said chamber around the rest of the cartridge, asset forth, for instance, in Letters Patent granted to Gilbert Smith on the 23d day of June, 1857.

My invention has for its object to adapt this kind of breech-loading arms to the use of metallic cartridges, such, for instance, as patented to me on the eighth day of August, 1865; and to this end my invention consists in so forming the cartridge-chamber sections in the two parts of the divided breech, that there will be an annular groove or recess where they come together for the reception of the fulminate ianch of the metallic cartridge, (such as just referred to,) as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe one of my improved breech-loaders, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a partial sectional elevation of a breech-loading gun, embodying'my improvements; and

Figure 2 is a similar view, but showing the parts in a diiierent position.

At iig. l, the gun is illustrated as loaded and ready to lbe fired; while at iig. 2 it is illustrated as it would appear just after firing and with the breech thrown open for the extraction of the empty cartridge-case.

In the several figures the same part is illustrated by the same letter of reference.

A is the rear or breech end of the barrel, and B the breech piece. C andD are, respectively, the forward and rear portions of the gun stock; in the rear portion, D, is arranged the lock mechanism, trigger g, guard F,

hammer E, and a pivoted lever, I, the'object and operation of which will be presently explained. The breech portion, A, of the barrel, and the breech-piece proper, B, are hinged together at e', and are locked, or held in the proper relative position for tiring, as seen at g.,1, by means of a spring catch-bar, H, which is attached to the barrel A, and shts down around two lugs, m and-n, which project respectively from the barrel and breech-piece, as clearly shown.l a and b are the sections or two portions of the cartridge-chamber, withinv which (when the parts are brought together, as seen at iig. 1,) the cartridge is contained; the cartridge I have shown as made in accordance with my aforesaid letters patent, being composed of a metallic shell, o, formed with a fulminate iianch, s, around its body, and provided with an ordinary ball, P, and charged in the usual manner. The breech or rear end of barrel A is formed, it will be seen, with a projection or annular rib, at the mouth of its chamber sectiona,) which tits into an annular depression formed in the mouth of the chamber section b', when the said sections a and are brought together, as seen at iig. 1, (at I and 2,) and the internaledge of the said rib, 1," is so chami'eredo' or grooved, that when the two sections a and b are brought together, an annular recess will exist on the interior of the cartridge-chamber to receive and hold the fulminate anch s of the cartridge, as clearly `seen at fig. 1. To load the'gun, the parts are`thrown open (somewhat further apart than seen at fig. 2,) on the hinge a', and the bullet end of the cartridge is inserted into the chamber, section a. The breech Band barrel A are then brought together, as seen at iig. 1, the rear end of cartridge passing into chamber section b', and the spring catch-bar H/embracing the lugs m and n, thus locking the parts together. In firing, the cartridge'is exploded by means of a'rod, or piston, (arranged in the breech-piece B and not shown,) impelled by the hammer E, and which strikes against the ilanch s of the cartridge.' After tiring, the lever I may be pushed downward at its rear end, which'will cause it to swing or turn on its pivot, t, and its forward end will throw up the end of catch-bar H in the direction indicated by the arrow, at iig. 1, when the barrel and breech-piece will be unlocked so that they may be swung open on their hinge i, for the purpose of extracting the empty cartridge-case or shell, which, it will be seen, caube easily taken out with the thumb and finger, since a large portion of it will protrude from the chamber section a', as seen at fig. 2. Itis well understood that the metalliccartridge possesses many and great advantages over other kinds of ammunition for breech` loading guus, and it will be seen that by the change I have made in that class of guns illustrated, I am enabled to use in such guns my improved metallic cartridges (having the fulminate anch on the body of the case,) with great advantage.

Having explained my invention, what I claim as new in that class of breech-loading fire-arms which have the charge-chamber bisected, as described and shown, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The recessed rear portion, 2 b', in combination with the ribbed and recessed forward portion, a l, of the charge-chamber, the Whole constructed and operating together to receive and retain7 while being tired, the kind of cartridge hereinbcfore referred to.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 29th day of December, 1865.

SILAS ORISPIN.

Witnesses:

J. N. MCINTIRE, M. ML LIVINGSTON. 

